This painting is called “Breakthrough” because of the brilliant burst of sunlight breaking through the trees, but also because this scene feels like a moment of clarity and peace, like the “Aha!” of a mental breakthrough.
Spending time surrounded by nature has a way of dissipating our mental clutter, like a reset button that helps us to see what’s important in our lives.
The four tall redwood trees on the left are the focus of the painting, with the white sun bursting from the canopy where their tops converge in the sky. The many branches of the trees, painted in red, violet and blue, criss-cross each other in a delicate web.
In the sunburst of white light is the circle of a shining rainbow, the details of the trees behind it lit with its colors.
After taking in the drama of the sunburst and rainbows, the eye naturally follows the curved line of the treetops over to the right side of the painting, where the color of the evergreens shifts from a bright turquoise to a deep blue/violet. In the foreground, the bright leaves of a deciduous tree and sunlit shrubs and grasses add a splash of bright yellow.
The whole painting is filled with light and color, depicting the forest through a lens of soaring emotions.
Here is the painting shimmering brightly amid the chaos of art materials and tools in the studio!